MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) has assured that there will be enough number of health workers for the full implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law.
DOH said in a UHC forum in Malate, Manila on Monday that a human resources management plan has been prepared to ensure the equal distribution of staff and the creation of additional human resources for health.
DOH said it will implement a medical doctors’ scholarship program and link it to other existing scholarship programs, including the one for the deployment of doctors, midwives and nurses, to distribute the necessary human resources for health.
The agency is also looking to link allied health professionals who can provide a big help to provincial hospitals in its goal of producing specialists and primary health workers.
Under the law, the country needs to strengthen primary care in the next 10 years, and the DOH plans to do it by partnering with several groups and institutions, including the Philippine College of Family Physicians.
The agency, however, noted that the government needs to take a multi-sectoral action to address any challenge in implementing the UHC. Communities also need to be empowered and be made aware of their rights to proper health care.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) assured it has sufficient funds for the initial implementation of the law, however, it needs additional budget sources for its continuous implementation.
Philhealth has been urging Congress to approve additional measures seeking to hike sin taxes to finance the UHC law. – Robie de Guzman
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